Those of you who have seen some of my other posts know that I get a bit wordy. But whatevs, I will word it up again.
Stakes. Stakes, man.
One thing I really, really liked about Star Wars: Rogue One was the concept of ‘stakes.’ The fate of the universe hinges on this one team pulling off the impossible. And as they start proving successful, we’re feeling good, until, uh oh, one of them dies. Okay, well, that’s just one. And then another main character dies. And then another. And another. Suddenly, you realize this is *for real*. The Good Guys have gone up against the Bad Guys, and you begin to realize there’s a chance the Good Guys don’t make it out. Every moment, every death, has gravitas now, even though we’ve only just met them. Now we see just how powerful and dangerous the Empire is. Now we see why the galaxy is right to fear them. So much death and loss, and then, at the very end . . . Hope.
I can’t remember another movie like that. Maybe the original Magnificent Seven, with Brenner? In LOTR, none of the major characters really died apart from Theoden and Boromir.
Let’s look at the Yawgmoth/Urza storyline, now. Like Bolas, Yawgmoth plotted for millenia. Already a god of one plane, he wanted to finally conquer Dominaria, too. In The Thran, many people perish, including a planeswalker, Dyfed, and the woman who built the shining star for the Thran Empire, Rebbec. Then thousands of years later Yawgmoth plays Mishra against Urza, leading to a devastating war that sees the loss of sons, of friends, and brothers. Then Urza plots against Yawgmoth, and creates the Legacy and the human counterpart, which also involves years of hardship.
Of the original Weatherlight crew, we have: Rofellos, who died before Tempest; Crovax, who turned from friend to evil, dangerous foe; Mirri, who died to save the man she loved on Rath, who she knew would never love her back; Tahngarth, who was tortured and disfigured by Volrath, before saving his people and being seen as a hero; Hanna, who Gerrard Capashen loved, who died horribly from Phyrexian plague during the Invasion; Orim, the healer who saw her friends suffer and die around her; Ertai, who was abandoned and turned to evil on Rath, before being killed by Squee; Squee, who was constantly killed over and over again for Crovax’s amusement; Starke, who betrayed and then was blinded, and killed on Mercadia; Karn, who was forced to kill as a pacifist, who saw so much time pass and was made to forget it, and who ‘died’ to end Yawgmoth; Sisay, who was tasked with the Legacy and struggled her whole life to do her duty; and Gerrard Capashen, whose whole life was suffering, who lost his family, his friends, his love, and gave his life to finally defeat Yawgmoth.
Then we have the Nine Titans who attacked Phyrexia itself: Urza, Lord Windgrace, Tevesh Szat, Taysir, Commodore Guff, Kristina of the Woods, Daria, Freyalise, and Bo Levar.
For years we were introduced to these characters. Many of us who played at the time really became attached to specific characters (in my case, Gerrard Capashen and Karn). The stories drove the sets, and the sets drove the stories.
Going into the Invasion, we had 10 Weatherlight ‘crew’ (including Multani, excluding Starke, Mirri, and Rofellos who had already died) still alive, and all nine of the Nine Titans. These were named characters, with more-or-less fleshed out backgrounds.
How many were left by the end of Apocalypse? 6 out of 10 ‘Weatherlight crew’ (Crovax, Hanna, Ertai, and Gerrard all died), and 2 out of 9 of the Nine Titans (Bo Levar, Guff, Szat, Taysir, Kristina, Daria, and Urza all died).
Out of 19 named, well-known characters, only ***8*** survive the events of Invasion block, survive the death of Yawgmoth. That’s only three sets.
Why? Because it was the culmination of the Yawgmoth/Legacy story. It was an Ending. It was the dividing line between what happened before and what would happen after. It’s the ending cutscene of a video game. For the story to have gravitas, for the Ineffable Yawgmoth to be seen as the absolute danger and evil that he was, we had to have *stakes*. If only one Weatherlight crew member died (Gerrard) and only two of the Titans died, well, what did we ever have to worry about? What was all the commotion about? Was the Empire really so scary, if no one died to bring it down in Rogue One?
We’re not looking at thrown-away deaths. These deaths served a story purpose, more than one, and it made sense because their deaths made their lives, and the story, matter.
So when I see 36 planeswalker cards for War of the Spark, when I see card art of sparks flying all over the place, when I see an army designed for the sole purpose of killing walkers and extracting their sparks, I’m expecting something a little more than three walkers, one of which we never really got to see in a regular set, losing their lives. These are mortals after all, right? And Gideon didn’t die due to desparking, as far as I know. So only two named walkers were desparked and killed?
I’m not taking a shot at people’s preferred planeswalkers, but: Isn’t Nissa’s story about wrapped up, just as Gideon’s was? Weren’t we all ready for Jaya to kick the bucket? (I haven’t read the novel spoilers, so I don’t know if this happens) What about Ajani? His life seems to have been geared to stopping Bolas. Why is he still around? Out of the five walkers who led guilds for Bolas, only one, Domri, is betrayed and killed? What about Dovin and Kaya, who we were told were only introduced earlier so that they could be in this set, and thus serve no other purpose? What is Kiora even doing anywhere these days? Vraska’s whole life was to lead her friends in Golgari; what is she going to do now?
And why introduce all these tertiary walkers with all the uncommon variations, when we have never heard of them before, if not to have them lose their lives to show walkers being killed?
The climax of Urza and Yawgmoth resulted in two broken planes, uncountable dead, and only 8 of 19 main characters being alive. The climax of Bolas and the Gatewatch results in . . . 33 of 36 named walkers surviving, one purposeless plane (Amonkhet), and one traumatized plane (Ravnica).
This was the grand climax of Bolas we were being ginned up for, for years? This is the modern-day equivalent of Yawgmoth’s defeat? As others have pointed out, what enemy could possibly compare to the Eldrazi and Bolas, in which only one Gatewatch member died against three planar threats? What enemy could possibly be as interesting and devastating as plane-destroying creatures and a god-dragon? I'm not bloodthirsty, I just want to be made to feel that there are actual stakes in Magic these days.
I’ll get off my soapbox now. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
- valleybeyond
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7
Perkunas687 posted a message on Ravnica Allegiance (RNA) and War of the Spark (WAR) General DiscussionPosted in: Magic Storyline -
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Ulgrim posted a message on Ravnica Allegiance (RNA) and War of the Spark (WAR) General DiscussionPosted in: Magic StorylineQuote from Tibalt"s Advocate »
Do we even know long this "war" took? As I'm getting a Seven Hour War vibe like from Half-Life series where it was quick and decisive.Quote from Kman »Some are also defending the story by saying hundreds of nameless planeswalkers and thousands or millions of ravnicans are killed.
This might not even be the case either. The Dreadhorde did not go throughout the plane of Ravnica killing everyone. This battle primarily takes place in the Main city and primarily in the main center of that city and the eternals were going after planeswalkers and anyone else in the way. Many ravnicans evacuated. Possibly only dozens of nameless walkers were killed (gotta see the book for a number) and maybe only hundreds or a few thousand at most Ravnicans were killed. So even in that defense not much stakes were to be had.
Couple of hours at best.
From what we know, no guildmasters have died except for Domri but I doubt that anyone in Gruul really gives a crap about him. Only 3 named walkers had died and a bunch of random bystanders have probably died. So, this war had little to no actual consequences.
Guildmasters are fine which means that the political structure of the plane is fine. If anything, guilds are now closer than they've ever been.
Planeswalkers who are actual characters are fine, making the death count quite laughable indeed.
A small portion of the plane wide city is a mess, it will be repaired in a few days, no big deal.
The plane is more united than ever.
Yea, great WAR indeed. Such dire consequences, such impact on the plane, much wow! -
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Havrekjex posted a message on [War of the Spark] - New planeswalker named Teyo VeradaPosted in: The Rumor MillQuote from Simto »Quote from 5colors »Quote from Simto »Quote from cyberium_neo »Interesting, previously people thought Teyo was a lady, guess he's just handsome and wears a robe.
The few white dudes they put on cards these days mostly look like a cross dresser at best lol
Such as?
The new Domri art looks like some teenage girl at a My Chemical Romance concert and that blue twin planeswalker from the multiplayer set I forget the name of is basically Brienne from Game Of Thrones but a man? lol. This new planeswalker too.
But to be honest, it's hard finding examples because there basically aren't any white dudes in any of the artwork anyway lel. Older sets were a nice mix of everything, but the newer sets are pretty blatant with the whole appeasing to political correctness. Oh well, the game is still fun.
They are painstakingly deliberate with distributing characters between ethnicities and genders. Count them and see, it's pretty bulletproof. White males are not underrepresented right now, you just perceive it to be so because the norm that you've become accustomed to, your mental calibration so to speak, is the overrepresentation of white males that has gone on in this and many other games for a very long time.
It's kind of like staring at a red sheet of paper for a long time, then peeling it away and looking at a white sheet of paper. It will look green. That doesn't mean that is in fact green, or that the white paper should be more red.
It's not your fault, it's just the way our minds work. But I advice you to try to keep up with the progress and break out from your own miscalibrated norm, you'll find life to be a lot less frustrating that way.
Sorry for the off topic. -
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Dontrike posted a message on Ultimate Masters & Box Topper Promos + PSA regarding sealed Box Topper BoostersPosted in: The Rumor MillQuote from Narlix the Blue »Quote from Dontrike »
To get the levels of Chronicles reprinting problems would literally require reprinting the same cards over and over in rapid succession, and that's not going to happen any time soon. Goyfs being $20 will not mean we have a Chronicles situation.
you do realize a standard set is putting out more copies of cards than Chronicles right, you put a card in a standard set its price will tank, no if ands or buts with few exceptions. look at Scapeshift, or cruciable of worlds bother went from 60 dollars to 7 or less.
And you realize that most standard sets have next to no noticeable reprints, right? Sorry, I don't care if Crucible is now $10, just like I didn't care when my Onslaught allied fetchlands went from $70+ to $10. More people being able to afford the game and play is not a bad thing.
Oh no my piece of cardboard is now closer to the price of cardboard! The horror! - To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
1
1
Torque
WUR
Instant (R)
Choose one:
-Prevent all combat damage target attacking creature would deal this turn. Then, that creature deals damage equal to its power to its controller.
-Change the targets of target instant or sorcery spell.
1
False Attendant
B
Creature - Zombie Rogue (R)
False Attendant can't block.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life.
Whenever a non-Zombie creature an opponent controls dies, its controller creates a token that is a copy of False Attendant except it doesn't have this ability.
2/1
---
The Sultai have survived under Silumgar's rule to this day by pretending to be the mindless undead servant-class.
1
Boundless Geomancy
XRR
Sorcery (R)
Any number of target lands you control become Elemental creatures with base power and toughness equal to X plus the number of cards named Geomancy Fundamentals in your graveyard. They are still lands. Lands you control gain haste and trample until end of turn.
If Boundless Geomancy is in your graveyard, spells and abilities you control count it as a card named Geomancy Fundamentals.
---
"Where there is land, there is power." Don Berlanga, rebel sympathizer
1
Verdandi the Watch-Flower
1GG
Legendary Creature - Plant (M)
Hexproof, reach
Noncreature spells cost 2 more to cast.
At the beginning of each opponents upkeep, create a green 0/1 Plant creature token with reach for each Forest you control. Exile them at the beginning of the next end step.
1/3
---
"Artificers and mages take heed, these woods are protected." -Jadiya Forest signpost
1
Waning Storms
2W
Enchantment (R)
Spells and nonland activated abilities cost X more to cast or activate, where X is the number of spells cast this turn.
---
With Ugin playing warden in the Meditation Realm, the storms from which all of Tarkir's dragons originate began to fizzle out.
1
Tragedy-Forged Friendships
3W
Tribal Enchantment (R)
Spells and abilities you control count all tribal and creature cards you own as every creature type.
---
"Your decades long plot to incite a war has instead all but guaranteed a generation of peace; I almost feel sorry for you." -Jace Beleren
1
Vraska’s Stone Garden
Legendary Land (R)
Vraska’s Stone Garden enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add B, G, or C.
4BG,T: Transform Vraska’s Stone Garden.
//
Jarad, Retired Guildmaster
(BG)
Legendary Creature - Elemental Zombie (R)
When this transforms into Jarad, Retired Guildmaster, create X 2/2 black and green Zombie creature tokens, where X is the number of land, creature, and planeswalker cards in your graveyard.
Zombie tokens you control are Forest Swamp lands in addition to their other types.
3/3
1
WUBRG
Legendary Creature - Angel Illusion
Flying
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, that player exiles the top two cards of their library.
X4C, T: Choose a creature card exiled by Emeria, Lunar Reflection and put it onto the battlefield under your control with X +1/+1 counters on it. It is an Eldrazi in addition to its other creature types and is colorless.
5/5
Next: A master of nomenmancy (that's name magic, just so you know)
1
2RG
Legendary Creature - Spirit Wolf
Wolf and Werewolf creatures you control can't leave the battlefield without dying.
1, Exile another Wolf or Werewolf card from a graveyard: Create a 2/2 green Wolf creature token. You may activate this ability from your graveyard by paying an additional 3. If you do, return Silherz the Enduring to its owner's hand.
3/3
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"She is the fail-safe the elves, whose extinction created the curse of the werewolf in the first place, installed to ensure that a second extinction did not undo their legacy." -Ahri of the Endless Curses
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